Encapsulation of mandarin citrus flavor using spray drying technology and different wall materials

Abstract

Studies using the encapsulated flavors of mandarin oranges have not been reported. In this study, the effect of malto-dextrin, soy protein, gum Arabic and surfactant (polysorbate 80) on the emulsion stability of a hydrophobic mandarin flavor for an encapsulation process subsequent to a spray drying process was evaluated. The influence of the emulsion characterization and the drying operating conditions, such as the inlet air temperature, outlet air temperature and atomization speed, on the characteristics of the encapsulated product and dryer performance was considered. The most suitable process was found to be air inlet and outlet temperatures of 213°C and 90°C, respectively, together with an atomizer disk velocity of 35000 rpm to obtain a high encapsulation efficiency of d-limonene and α-linalool (>95%), low deposit formation (<10%) and high solids recovery (@ 80%). Powdered flavors of mandarin orange can be encapsulated by spray drying, resulting in microcapsules containing the active ingredient with maximum functionality and stability.

Keywords

• Drying
• flavor
• encapsulation
• mandarin